March 8, 2013/ZC– DSWD IX Asst. Regional Director Riduan Hadjimuddin confirmed that coordination with concerned agencies is underway to ensure efforts are organized and synchronized in anticipation of the massive deportation of Filipinos from Sabah.

As a result of a meeting with ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman last Tuesday , DSWD IX committed to provide manpower and fund support to the ARMM Region. Todate, DSWD has transferred the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos as augmentation support to DSWD ARMM . A team of social workers well-versed with the local dialects of Sulu and Tawi-tawi was organized and ready to go in case reinforcements are requested by the ARMM Provincial Social Welfare Offices (PSWO).

Ms. Hania Aliakbar, Social Welfare Head of Tawi-tawi, revealed that schools were identified as evacuation centers considering the availability of facilities such as comfort rooms. Systems that will help facilitate smoothly the transfer and processing of the deportees such as the “Task Force Tabang’ are already in place through the initiative of Governor Hataman and his cabinet members.

Gov. Hataman said that with the crisis in Sabah, the pooling of resources and efforts by the public and private organizations is a priority. (nzb)